I had been on the lookout for a specialist role for a while as A&E, although a fantastic learning and team environment – just got too exhausting for me mentally and physically – (see previous post ‘cutting myself some slack’ to give you a picture of where I was at). This new role is completely different to anything I’ve ever done before and feel that’s it’s exactly what I needed to reboot myself. I want to be the best nurse I can be and I feel by focusing, specialising and developing myself in one particular field and becoming awesome at it will for sure help me do that.

I now work Monday – Friday 9-5, something I have never experienced before and although I am now in 5 days a week as opposed to 3 or 4, boy am I enjoying having evenings to do what ever I like with. To just go to bed at a reasonable hour, to go running or Zumba or even chilling in front of Netflix at home because I CAN.

My mental state feels so much better for it, although taking on a new role has its challenges and there is a lot to learn and courses to do etc, my head is so much more clearer. I can focus on the things that matter where I feel I didn’t have the capacity to even do that 2 months ago.

Happy times.

I went gliding!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a thing for planes and aircraft in general. The road nearby us has a gliding centre (not going to lie, one of the reasons I moved here, although not the sole reason) and regularly watch the gliders take off and fly over my house. I was super stoked when I found out J had got me some trial winch flights for Christmas. Sweeeet!

I got two flights and although they are relitively short flights (8-15 minutes – this is dependant on wind/weather) they were terrifyingly brilliant. I did both flights one after the other so barely had time to recover from the first!

It’s such a weird feeling being in aircraft with no engine whatsoever. Not weird, quite liberatingly terrifying. The winch takes you up so quick that we were on the floor to 1500ft in 20 seconds or so. Like a friggin catapult..! As soon as the winch rope is realeased from the glider though and you’ve actually taken a breath, the feeling is so surreal. Although being in the smallest metal aircraft ever with no engine, once you forget about that it’s actually quite a blissful experience and the views, well, spectacular!

Let’s just say that it’s not going to be my last go that’s for sure.

It’s quite an expensive activity to do and get into, but if you live around the Oxford area, I think they’re still doing Groupon offers for trial flights – so go check it out if it’s sounds like your kinda thing! (Hopefully what I’ve said hasn’t actually put you off)

Fitness

With my now much freer evenings I have signed up to my local Zumba class (hadn’t done Zumba in 2/3 years or so) and also downloaded the Couch to 5k app and signed up to Race for Life in Oxford in July.

Exercise makes me feel good about myself and really helps me get out of my mind / body funks and eliviate stress and bad moods. I’ve even gone so far as to book a Race for Life 5k (despite only being on week 2 of 8 of couch to 5k) but I’m sick of starting things and never finishing them so felt I had to in order to prove it to myself that I can do it and give me that kick up my backside to keep at it.

Travel

Since we last spoke, I have been to Weymouth with J and Budapest for a friends birthday. Both short trips and both places in which I’ve done before (Weymouth is practically my second home) but was really nice to just escape life for a while, especially when these trips were around the end of my time in A&E and were definitely needed! Budapest was better the second time round, mainly cause it wasn’t based around drinking every night and got round to seeing things I didn’t last time and spend some quality time with my best friend.

Blogging

Now that I have my evenings back, I’m gunna put a bit more time and effort into this blog. I’m going to try not to think of it as something I have to ‘work’ on or have on my ‘to do’ list, but actually just post whatever I feel like when I feel like. It’s what I’ve always used it for and don’t want to become a chore. I will however though, state that there will be some difference in post content. I’m looking to do a few on house buying and decoration, music, product reviews and more importantly and one that will always be a staple: my yays and nays.

Nays

Not really a nay as such but couldn’t leave it empty – it’s more of a reflective thought – with what I said in my fitness part of this post, you can tell that I’m still pushing myself and I know in myself I still give myself a hard time for, well, no reason. The counselleing that I had did, has and will continue to help tonnes, but it’s still something I’m working on. I’m in a miles better place than I was two months ago, so this should probably be in Yays… Now hopefully with this new work / life balance, things will only continue to improve.